Dwelling Place

Al Pittman: It's a dog chasing its tail. It's the definition of insanity. It all always ends up in the same place: a sense of deadness in our spirit, estranged from God. But Pastor, you don't understand. My situation is really unique. Anybody ever tell you that? I know what you mean, man, but "but" will get your "butt" in trouble. Amen.

You just don't understand, Pastor. If you could just see her, you'd know what I'm talking about. You'd give me some slack. No. Pastor, I finally found someone who makes me happy. I'm mocking a little bit, but I'm not mocking your situation or what you're going through. It’s tough. But sometimes we have these lame excuses. Is he a Christian? Well, I saw him with a Bible once.

My situation is unique, you just don't understand. But that idea is a lie from the enemy to convince you that somehow you have a situation God cannot handle. Because that's basically what we're saying. You don't understand. God could handle the rest of them, but I'm different. I'm unique. No, let me tell you something. Sin is common. Sexual immorality is a common sin. It's common. It's not unique. The same temptation that you find in Genesis, you find today.

The devil is not omniscient, all-knowing. He's not omnipotent, all-powerful. He's not omnipresent, everywhere at once. Only God is. And the devil is not a creator. He can't create anything different. He's doing the same jacked-up stuff he was doing in Genesis. Same sins, different package. 40 years ago, you used to have to walk to a theater. Today, you can just point and click online. Same thing. Amen. Same thing. He can't create anything. He's a deceiver and a liar. He puts a new coat of paint on it and goes, "Oh, but this one's different." No, it's the same thing.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 that no temptation has overtaken you. Oh, really? No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. Satan is doing the same old stuff. Then it says, but God is faithful even when we're faithless, for he cannot deny himself. We've been faithless. We've been unfaithful at times, but God is faithful.

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. Whoa. But with the temptation, he will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. It's like, "Lord, come get me. Put me in a spaceship and let me live on the moon to get away from this temptation." No, you'd find some sin up there. Amen. You know what I mean? Or let's just all move to the mountains and hide out. Well, if you've ever heard of Jim Jones, we're just people, we're just sinners.

But God says with the temptation, not apart from it, with it. In the midst of this society, in the midst of this world that's given over to sexual immorality, God will make a way of escape. With every temptation, there's an entrance and there's an exit. There's an invitation. The devil sends out an invitation. You get it in the mail, you open it up. "Join me tonight." Okay, I'm not doing anything.

There's the invitation, the entrance. But if you feel like right now I'm caught up in something, there's also an exit. And the exit is always the same. It's Jesus. Amen. The exit is Jesus. The problem is that we don't take the exit. We're in the house. Jesus is the fire escape. We're in the house. The house is burning down. Timbers are falling down around our ears and stuff. Smoke is filling our lungs. And the Holy Spirit is speaking to us, saying, "There's the fire escape. It's Jesus. Just repent, turn from your sin. Take the fire escape." We're going, "Wait a minute, I think this one's different."

Hebrews 3:15 says today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart as in the rebellion. Seriously, if God is speaking to your heart, obey his voice. Right where you're sitting right now, you can say, "Lord, forgive me," because God's listening to your heart. He's listening to your heart. And we should take heed because to harden our hearts is to welcome harm.

To harden my heart is to welcome harm. I'm tempted to harden my heart so many times and in so many ways. But I realize that it only brings harm. Some days I just want to get angry. I have just an attitude. Where's that going to get you? And you know who's it going to hurt? I'm angry with my wife, or I'm angry with someone at the church. You're going around with an attitude. Who is it hurting? It's not hurting them; it's hurting you.

When you harden your heart, it only harms you. And there's a warning that comes with this hardening of the heart. Proverbs 29:1 says, he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. If you're sitting there hardening your heart against God right now, stiffening your neck, and I will not, you will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. That means one day you'll look for the remedy who is Jesus, and it'll be too late.

So Paul warns in verse 6 as we continue in our text. We need to stay away from the passion of lust, which is of the world. In verse 6, he says that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter. What matter? The matter of sexual immorality. Now Paul is talking to the church. That no brother... what does he mean by brother here? That phrase "his brother" literally means a community based on origin of life. I love that. When he says brother, he's not just talking about the men of the church. He's talking about the body of Christ. Because we're in a community based on the same origin of life. Where's that life come from? It comes from Jesus. And we've been birthed into the kingdom and we are the family of God.

So he's talking to the family. He's talking to the church. We have the same origin of life, which is in Christ. He says those of you who are in the church, do not defraud one another. That word defraud literally means to overreach, literally to cross the line. The pastor who's counseling a sister who is weak and having an emotionally tough time, to use that opportunity to seduce her in a counseling session, God says, "I'm going to deal with you."

Or that brother that comes to the church and he needs a place to stay and he's just kind of down and out, and he finds this sister who is weak or whatever and moves in with her and starts having a "friends with benefits" situation. God says, "I will deal with you." And it's not just men; it's sisters as well. I know one time I was counseling a couple and they came in. They wanted to get counseling together. You always get the forms ahead of time. This was many years ago, but I got the form ahead of time and it was same address, two different last names. Back then that was a red flag. Today it's probably not that big of a deal, but back then it was like, whoa, they're living together. And they're both claiming to be Christians.

Now, this is something I'm going to say this, and this is going to offend some folks. But I want to please God, and I'm not concerned about who I offend. I'm going to please God. And so I'm going to say this. And I don't mean to be crude or anything like that, but it's the truth. This is what I told them. The guy came in, he was sitting there, and I forget what it was even about, but it was something else. And I realized that they were living together. So I asked him. I just asked him. I said, "Do you love this woman? Do you love her?" He said, "Oh, yeah, I love her. I love her, man."

You know, you're counseling couples, sometimes they're looking at each other with big old saucer eyes, just kind of looking at each other like this. "I love her so much." You're over here, they're looking at each other. "I love her so much." I said, "You do?" I said, "Do you want the best for her?" "Oh, I want the best for her. Yeah, man, I want the best for her. Just whatever it takes, man." I said, "Then when you going to move out?"

Guest (Male): Amen. We hope you're enjoying today's message so far. We wanted to take a quick break to thank you for supporting the Dwelling Place. Because of you, this message and many more will reach the whole world. If you'd like to support this ministry, please visit us at AlPittmanMinistries.com or mail a check to PO Box 50584, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. That's PO Box 50594, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. Again, thank you for supporting the Dwelling Place. Now, let's get back into the message.

Al Pittman: Huh? Because if you want the best for her, what is the best thing for her? Jesus. And by living with her, you are causing her to stumble and you are defrauding her in the Lord. And if you really care about her and her having the best, you would get completely out of the way so she can have everything God wants for her. But right now, you're standing in the way. So when are you moving out? Or when are you getting married? Amen. You ladies say sometimes you've got to put a ring on it. Amen. When are we going to do that? Oh well, you know.

It is amazing how when people are living together, how wonderful they get along, and when they get married, they fight like cats and dogs. You know why? Because now there's commitment. Commitment. And until you're committed, it's just a sex thing. I told you you'd get quiet on me.

So some will say, "Oh, I didn't know." And you know, "Hey, well, that's what that pastor says, but I went over here to another church and they have a liberal theology and they said it's okay." Really? Well, let me tell you what the Bible says. Proverbs 24:12 says, if you say surely we did not know this, does not he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does he not know it? And will he not render to each man according to his deeds? So you can lie to me all day long and I'm very vulnerable and naive. I really am at times. But you're not going to get away with that with God.

He who weighs the heart, does he not know what your real motive is? "But he knows my heart!" Yes, he does know your heart, which is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, the Bible says. Who can know it? Your heart will even lie to you. That's why we need this word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. If we will possess our vessel in sanctification and honor, we must understand God has called us up to a higher level of life, to a place of dignity, a place of truth and not lies. That's where we can overcome the lure, the undertow, if you will, of sexual immorality in our time.

The last area that Paul addresses is the spiritual area. All of these are spiritual, but this one in particular. And here he talks about holiness. In verse 7, he says, for God did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness. And then he says, therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, does not reject Pastor Al, but God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is bearing witness with us that God has called us to a place of holiness.

Holiness, a life of purification. The word he uses here for uncleanness speaks of that which is impure. God has not called us to uncleanness, what the world is engaged in. That word unclean means impure, impure physically and morally. And in a nation full of where there's no moral absolutes, a lot of people are confused. Again, that's why we need this word.

But God has not called us to uncleanness. And Satan has done a great job in convincing even many believers that the word holiness is a dirty word, to be associated with rigid legalism. So when we talk about holiness, right in your mind, you see that sister back in the day with the long dresses and no makeup, looking like she's been sucking on prunes or lemons all day long. All this kind of stuff. "Oh, that's holiness." And it's about not drinking or chewing or how's that old saying go... whatever it is. Anyway.

It's not rigid legalism. That's where I should have stopped. But that's a lie from the enemy. So when people hear holiness, they go, "Oh, I don't want that." It sucks the life out of us. That's not what holiness is. Holiness is not about rigid legalism. It is a glorious benefit to the believer, holiness. A glorious benefit. In Hebrews chapter 12, the Bible says that God disciplines those that he loves. In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 10, the Bible says that here's why he disciplines us: that we may be a partaker of his holiness.

God is a parent who wants the best for his children, like you want the best for your children. And you have a child that's running out in the street, and you've told them don't go out in the street, don't go out in the street, and they're doing this. When you see them out in the street, back in the day, I don't know what people do today, I guess they put them on timeout, but Mama would wear your behind out. Not because she just liked wearing your behind out, but to send a strong message to you to stay out of the street. Why? Because she don't want you getting run over before you graduate from school. And maybe you can go to college and maybe you can go on and run a business or whatever. She wants you to reach your full potential, so she's going to discipline you because she loves you. God disciplines those that he loves. That's why he won't let us get away with junk because he loves you too much.

So that you can have the best he has to offer. Oh, what is that, Pastor? Is that prosperity? Is that a new car? Is that a new business? What is it that God... you know what the best that God has to offer you? Himself. He disciplines you. Amen. Give him praise and glory. He disciplines us that we may partake in his holiness. That we may know his nature, that we may understand and know the true intimacy of God. Amen.

When he calls us to holiness, notice Paul said he calls us in holiness. He's not calling us to be perfect. Please understand that. He's calling you to know the depths of his love. He's calling you to know his character of love and mercy and peace and joy. That's the call. It's a call to love. John put it this way in 1 John chapter 4. He says, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. Some people feel like if I answer the call to holiness, it's going to be torment. No, it's a call to love. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. In other words, you don't really understand how much God loves you.

We love him, we respond to him in living a holy life. Why? Because he first loved us. Holiness is a response to God's love. It is a calling of the believer. And Paul said, if you reject this, you don't reject men; you're rejecting God. The conclusion of the matter today is that this life of excessive faith that God calls us to is a life that is lived crowned with the goodness of God. That's what he has for us. James chapter 1, verse 12 says, blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised. God's not a man that he should lie to those who love him.

There's something interesting in that phrase, "he who endures." The Greek word for endures... when I see endure, I think I've got to do more, I've got to try harder. The word endures, the Greek word for endures literally means to stay under. Somebody said if you happen to fall in the Lord, fall forward. Stay under God's grace. Stay under God's mercy. What a lot of Christians do is we just run from God. No, no, no. I fell, I made a mistake, I got caught up in sexual immorality. Repent. Stay under. That's what it means to endure to the end: to stay under God's love and God's grace for you.

Monday is Memorial Day. Amen. And I was reading a little bit on Memorial Day and I found out that the National Monument of Remembrance Act passed back in the year 2000. It encouraged every citizen to pause each Memorial Day at 3:00 PM. 3:00 PM to remember the brave men and women who died in the service of our nation. A lot of people don't know that. I didn't know that. At 3:00 PM. Why 3:00 PM? Well, it's interesting. Probably when they passed this act, it's not a law, it's just an act, but when they passed it, they didn't realize that the number three has great significance biblically. It was on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The evening sacrifice in the temple was offered at 3:00 PM. The evening sacrifice. And in the evening sacrifice, Jesus cried out, "It is finished."

I thought how appropriate, 3:00 PM, to remember those who have fallen and at the same time remembering the one who has risen. So this Memorial Day, I would challenge you to do just that: to remember those who have fallen by honoring with our lives as believers the one who has risen from the dead. I'm reminded of the words of this old hymn. In this day in which we live of perversion and pitfalls and problems, remember these words. It's an old hymn. Some of those old hymns have some great theology. And the one verse says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." Amen.

Guest (Male): Learn more about Pastor Al and his ministry by visiting AlPittmanMinistries.com. Also, consider supporting us financially. You can send a check to Al Pittman Ministries at PO Box 50584, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. Or visit us online. Thank you for your prayers and your support. Your generosity keeps this radio ministry going. Lastly, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing info@AlPittmanMinistries.com. That's info@AlPittmanMinistries.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Again, thank you for joining us and we'll see you next time on the Dwelling Place. God bless.